Washing machine



Oct. 13, 1942.- Q K SKINNER WASHING MACHINE I7 `e Y n` `nm, Ok ts. MVK S y@ ,Tn a

's Attorney.

`O'ct.`13, 1942. c. K.sK|NNER 2,298,905

WASHING MACHINE Filed sept. 19, 1940 2 sheets-sheet- 2 lrwvehtor: Charles K. Skinner,

y His Attorney.

i* Patentedlfoct. 13,1942 u l i 'y UNITED STATES Urrr'rerlr OFFICE.l

`Charles-K. Skinner, Southport, Conn., assignor to `General Electric Company, a corporation of New York i Application September 19, 1940, Serial No. 357,415

4 claims. `(Cl. `ca -r3) `The present invention relates to `washing ma- -washer`26 resting against a shoulder 21 on the `shines `of 1the'type in which clothes are washed shaft l1 and resiliently supporting the shaft I1 and centrifueoily dried in a .rotatab1ereceptac1e on the strut 2|. Loose on the shaft I1 and rest- In machines of this type it 1is desirablethat king on the thrust washer 2G isa clutch member the washing operation belstarted onlydfter the 5 `2B integral with a pinion 29. Above the pinion receptacle has been vfilled with `liquid to the A29 is a ball thrust bearing 30 on which rests a `proper level. spiral gear 3I keyed to the shaft I1. The shaft The Object 0f my invention is to vprovide an I1 has a collar 32 which engages the upper surimproved construction and arrangement in mal face of the spiral gearv 3I. The weight supported Chines Of `this type in Which the Weight 0f the 10 by the shaft I'I is accordingly transmitted receptacle and contents Vis used to control the through the collar 32, the spiral gear 3|, the

Start of thewashing operation, and for a conthrust bearing 3u, the clutch member 2s, and sideration of whatl believe novel and my inVenthe thrust washer 26 to the coil spring 25. If tion, attention is directed to the following descripthis weight; is sufficient to compress the coil spring tien and the Claims apnendediheleioi5 25, the clutch member 28 will be moved into en- In the accompanying drawings, Fia 1 is a Secgagement with the clutch member 23, completing tional elevation of -a washing machine embodying a driving connection to the shaft. Although the my invention: Fie. 2 is a sectional view taken gearval and the pinion 29 move with the clutch Online 2I2 0f Fig- `1; and Fig. 3 is e yneiSIJeCiiiVe member, the movement is not sufficient to inter- VieW Of JChe driving mechanism l0 fere with the proper mesh of the gear teeth.

Referring `Co the drawings there is ShOWn a Fixed to the upper end of the shaft I1 is a brake machine having an outer casing or tank l Supdrum33 having diametrically opposed projections ported on Casters 2 and having a Covers. Fixed 34 which are connected to arms -35 of a universal t0 the bottom wall 4 0f the outer Casing is d joint. intermediate the arms 35 of the universal sieeVe 5- ihlengh Which projects e veriieeishafi 25 joint are arms 36 which are connected to opposite 6 0n the Upper end Of Which is e receptacle 1 ends of an arm 31 xed to the lower end olf the having a hieded agiiaion therein. In the upper vertical shaft B.' The weight carried by the ver- Dari Of the receptacle side Waiis are Openings 9 tical shaft I is transmitted to the upper end of Which define JChe liquid 4level in the receptacle the vertical shaft I1 through a ball thrust beardurng washing and which serveas centrifugal 3o ing 3B. `The shafts s and I1 together with the discharge Openings during drying. BY a suitable universal joint connection therebetween constiarrangement, for example that` shown in Patent tute a two-part shaft which is axially slidable 2,161,619, G- W- Dunham, ihe agitaiei 3 is OsCiiin the gear casing I0 and which assumes a posilated for washing and the receptacle 1 is rotated tion dependent upon the weight of the receptacle for centrifugal drying by the vertical shaft 6. 35 'l and its contents and the strength of the spring BeiOW the bOiiOm Wall 4 Of the Outer Casing is e `25. .The spring 25V is of such strength that when geel' Cese i0 hOllSine `the driving mechanism the receptacle 1 is empty the clutch members 23 Shown in Fig. 3 to the upper side of `which is and28 are separated., When the receptacle is fixed a hollow post II `having a ange I2 at ifs lled with liquid to the proper level for washing, upper end engaging the lower side of the bottom 40 the additional weight of the liquid causes down- Waii 4 end iXed thereto by e Clamping ring I3. ward movement of the shafts 6 and I1 sufficient The hollow post II serves asa support for one to move the clutch member 28 into engagement end of they gear casing.- `The other end of the with the clutch member 23 and to thereby comgear casing is supported by a bracket I4 attached plete a 'driving connection to the shafts. The to a stiffening ring I5 fixed to the inner` surface '4i weight of the liquid is of the order of twenty of a skirt I6"dependng from the outer casing. -times the weight of the clothes. The operation Withinthe gear casing is a vertical shaft I1 of theclutch member is substantially unaffected slidably and rotatably carried in a sleeve bearing by the weight of the clothes.

I9 `in a boss -20 depending from thc top wall of The machine is driven by an electricv motor thegear casing. The lower end of the shaft I1 5 39 having a shaft 4Il to which is fixed a pulley extends through a strut 2I carrying a ball thrust 4I driving a pulley 42 through. a belt 43. The bearing 22 supporting a clutch member 23 splined pulley 42 is fixed to a shaftA 44 having a worm 45 tothe shaft I1. The clutch member 23 is procut therein 'meshingl with a worm gear 46. The vided with an annular seat 24 for a coil spring worm gear is provided with a socket 41 for re- 25 the upper end of which engages a thrust 55 ceiving the crank pin of a rack 48. 'I he rack 48 58 is moved to a position inV which may'be filled through a conduit 18A is slidable `in a carrier 49 pivoted on the inner end of a plunger 50 slidably received in a boss 5| in the side walls of the gear casing. The plunger 50 is biased toward the pinion 29 by a compression spring 52 arranged between the plunger 50 and the inner end of a plug 53 threaded into the boss 5|. The plunger 50 is pivotally connected to arms 54 fixed to a rock shaft 55 journaled in the gear casing. Upon rotation of the rock shaft 55 in a counter-clock- Wise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, the rack 48 is moved into engagement with the pinion 29, causing oscillation of the pinion 29. Also fixed to the rock shaft 55 is an arm 56 having its free end loosely received in a groove 51 of a clutch member 58 slidably keyed to the shaft 44. Upon rotation of the rock shaft 55 in a clockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, the clutch member its teeth 59 engage socket 60 in a spiral gear 6I loose on the shaft 44. 'Ihe spiral gear 6| meshes lwith the spiral gear 3| which is keyed to the shaft |1. Accordingly, when the clutch member 58 engages the spiral gear 6|, the shaft |1 rock shaft is turned by a lever 62 pivoted on a having its inner the upper end of the rock shaft 55 and having its outer end projecting throughout a slot 66 in the skirt I6. The lever 62 is shown in the posi'- tion in which the rack 48 engages the pinion 29. Upon pivoting the lever 62 in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, the rack 48 is moved out of engagement with the pinion 49 and the clutch member 58 is moved into engagement with the spiral gear 6| Adjacent the gear case IU is a pump 61 having the shaft 68 to which is fixed a'pulley 69 driven through a belt 10 by a pulley 1| integral with the pulley 42. The inlet of the pump is connectedthrough a conduit 12 and a valve 13fto the bottom of the outer casing. The discharge of the pump is connected to a flexible hose 14 to a nozzle which during washing may be inserted opening 16 in the cover 3 so as, to discharge onto an annular filter 11 carried on the upper edge of the receptacl 1. 'I'he machine connected to a suitable water supply and having a nozzle 19 discharging into the receptacle 1.

In the use of the machine the control lever 62 is moved to the washing position shown in Fig. 3 in which the rack 48` engages the pinion 29 and oscillates the pinion at washing speed. Since the pinion 29 is loose on the shaft |1 and the clutch members 23 and 28 are separated, the agitator 8 remains stationary. The clothes and washing compound are placed in the receptacle which is then filled through the conduit 18 until the liquid overfiows through the openings 9. As in the receptacle reaches a value which is safe for washing, the weight of the liquid is transmitted through the ball thrust bearing 38 to the shaft I1, causing a, downward axial movement of the shaft |1 and bringing the clutch member 28 into -engagement with the clutch member 23 which is splined to the shaft |1 and thereby completing the driving connection to the vertical shaft 6. This starts the oscillation of the agitator 8 for washing. The spring 25 is 0f such stiffness that washing cannot start until the receptacle is filled to a safe level. By opening the valve 13 the liquid overfiowing to the bottom of is rotated. 'Ihe ,Washing is completed, the lever 63 48 out of engagement the outer casing through the openings 9 is circulated by the pump 61 onto the filter 11. When the is moved in a counterclockwise direction, as viewed in Fig. 3, turning the rock shaft so as to move the rack with the pinion 29 and to move the clutch member 58 into engagement with the spiral gear 6|. This completes a high speed driving connection to the vertical shaft 6, causing rotation of the receptacle 1 to centrifugally dry the clothes. During this operation the valve 13 is shut so that the liquid centrifugally discharged through the openings 9 is caught and stored within the outer casing, from which it may be returned to the receptacle to wash asucceeding batch of clothes.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a washing machine, a vertical shaft, a rotatable receptacle on the shaft for receiving to be Washed, a frame in which the shaft is supported for axial movement, resilient means resisting axial movement of the shaft in the frame whereby the axial position of the shaft is responsive to the weight of the receptacle and contents, and mechanism for driving the shaft at its washing speed including clutch members respectively loose `on and fixed to the shaft, said clutch members being positioned so as to be out of engagement when the receptacle is empty and in engagement when the receptacle is filled with liquid to the proper level for washing.

2. In a washing machine, a vertical shaft, a. receptacle supported on the shaft for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, a frame in which is supported for axial movement, re-

driving connection to the shaft.

3.`In a washing machine, a vertical shaft, a receptacle on the shaft for receiving liquid and clothes to be washed, a frame in which the shaft 1s supported for axial movement, resilient m'eans resisting axial movement of the shaft in the frame whereby the axial position of the shaft is responsive to the weight of the receptacle and contents, and means including a clutch member movable axially with the shaft from a disengaged CHARLES K. SKINNER. 

